DEAR Editor,-
There are 286 municipalities in South Africa. Less than 20 of them receive clean audits from the auditor general.
The problems include appointments of unqualified people in senior management, the degradation of municipal infrastructure and gross financial mismanagement.
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Ugu has in the past received a disclaimer from the auditor general – and is also guilty on occasion of delaying the release of the Auditor General’s Annual Audit Report.
According to press reports an estimated 28 000 households that rely on Ugu District Municipality have been without water for nearly two months.
Local businessmen involved in tourism run the risk of businesses losing their going concern status.
A recent report stated that two new general managers had been appointed at Ugu District Council.
Sivuyile Mbewu is new water services general manager and Noloyiso Walingo is economic development and environmental service manager.
They are currently employed, but few details are provided. The report states that the appointments were made according to their qualifications, competencies and experience.
The Local Government Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003 Regulations define minimum competency levels for senior managers as:
‘A senior manager of a municipality or municipal entity must comply with the minimum competency levels required for higher educational qualifications, work related experience, core managerial and occupational competencies, and be competent in the unit standards prescribed for financial and supply chain management competency areas, as set out in the regulations’.
The amended act goes on to say that the appointment of any person who does not have the prescribed competencies is a contravention of the act with serious consequences, including an application to a court by the MEC for a declaratory order on the validity of the appointment.
The municipal manager is on the side of the angels with a masters degree, and the chief financial officer has, I have been told, a BCom degree.
With regard to the new appointments in municipalities like Ugu, with budgets north of a billion rand, the required work-related experience is a minimum of seven years at senior and middle management level, of which at least two years must be at a senior management level.
As far as higher education is concerned, senior managers must have at least NQF level seven in a field relevant to the senior management position. NQF seven is a four year degree.
This prerequisite means the appointed water services general manager must be a professional engineer with a degree in civil engineering.
The economic development and environmental services manager could be an economist or environmentalist with degrees at the prescribed level.
Members of the public might take comfort in the thought that with the new blood being introduced at this level, the infrastructure will be maintained, costs will be contained and the billing system run efficiently.
DAVE SNASHALL
Response from France Zama:-
The two general managers in question, Sivuyile Mbewu (General Manager Water Services) and Noloyiso Walingo (General Manager Economic Development and Environmental Services) were duly appointed in their respective positions based on their academic qualifications, competences and wealth of experience.
Ms Walingo has been with the municipality for the past 11 years. Prior to her current position, she served Ugu as Environmental Officer from May to July 2007.Her expertise led to her being appointed Manager: Environmental Management from July 2007 to April 2019.
Before joining Ugu, Ms Walingo worked as an Assistant Director: Local Government Support at National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism from 2005 to April 2007.
She also worked for the Institute of Natural Sciences as the Assistant Project Officer: Estuary Management and Mangrove Conservation Projects, as well as for PondoCROP as Community and Environmental Coordinator: Tourism Development – Transkei Wild Coast.
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Her academic qualifications include a Master of Social Science; Bachelor of Social Science Honours and she has a certificate on the Municipal Finance Management Programme (MFMP).
Mr Mbewu has worked for Ugu for over eight years, having arrived as an Engineering Technician: Water Services Operations in Area North from November 2010 to July 2013.
He was duly appointed manager in the same area of operation from August 2013 to April 2019.
Before joining Ugu, Mr Mbewu worked as a Civic Engineering Technologist/Project Manager at Graeme McGill Consulting CC. He was also a Civil Engineering Technician/Project Leader at Bergstan South Africa Consulting (PTY) Ltd and a Civil Engineering Technician – Power Construction Roads (Pty) Ltd.
He is registered and is a member of South African Institute of Civil Engineering (SAICE); Institute of Municipal Engineering of South Africa (IMESA) and Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as a Professional Engineering Technologist (PrTechEng).
His academic qualifications include a BTech degree in Civil Engineering and National Diploma in Civil Engineering and he has a certificate on Water Process Control as the Class VI Process Controller.
Both Mr Mbewu and Ms Walingo were assessed by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and found to be competent enough for the positions.
FRANCE ZAMA
Ugu spokesman
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